Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

FUNUS. FUNUS. b59
the funeral song (2aeeeia or lessus) in praise of the of the Cornelian gens whose body was b)urned.
deceased. These were sometimes followed by (Cic. ib. ii. 22.) Under the empire burning was
players and buffoons (scurroe, listriones), of whom almost universally practised, but was gradually disone, called Arclimimeus, represented the character continued as Christianity spread (Minuc. Felix, p.
of the deceased, and imitated his words and actions. 327, ed. Ouzel. 1672), so that it had fallen into
(Suet. Vesp. 19.) Then came the slaves whom the disuse in the fourth century. (Macrob. vii. 7.) Perdeceased had liberated, wearing the cap of liberty sons struck by lightning were not burnt, but buried
(pileati); the number of whom was occasionally on the spot, which was called Bidentel, and was
very great, since a master sometimes liberated all considered sacred. [Bnv.DTAL.] Children also,
his slaves, in his will, in order to add to the pomp who had not cut their teeth, were not burnt, but
of his funeral. (Dionys. iv. 24; compare Liv. buried in a place called Suggrundarium. (Plin.
xxxviii. 55.) Before the corpse persons walked H. N. vii. 15; Juv. xv. 140; Fulgent. de prisc.
wearing waxen masks [IM/Aco], representing the Serra. 7.) Those who were buried were placed in
ancestors of the deceased, and clothed in the official a coffin (areca or loculus), which was frequently
dresses of those whom they represented (Polyb. made of stone (Valer. Max. i. 1. ~ 12; Aurel. Vict.
vi. 53; Plin. H. N. xxxv. 2); and there were also de Vir. Ill. 42), and sometimes of the Assiall
carried before the corpse the crowns or military re- stone, which came from Assos in Troas, and which
wards which the deceased had gained. (Cic. de consumed all the body, with the exception of the
Leg. ii. 24.) teeth, in 40 days (Plin. H. N. ii. 98, xxxvi. 27),
The corpse was carried on a couch (lectice), to whence it was called Sarcophiagus. This name was
which the name of Fereterus (Varro, de Ling. Lat,. in course of time applied to any kind of coffin or
v. 166) or Capulus (Festus, s. V.) was usually given; tomb. (Juv. x. 172; Dig. 34. tit. 1. s. 18. ~ 5;
but the bodies of poor citizens and of slaves were Orelli, Inser. No. 194, 4432, 4554.)
carried on a common kind of bier or coffin, called The corpse was burnt on a pile of wood (pyra
Sandcapila. (Mart. ii. 81, viii. 75. 14; Juv. viii. or rogus). Servius (ad Virg. Aen. xi. 185) thus
175; vilis arca, Hor. Sat. i. 8. 9.) The Sandspile defines the difference between pyre and rogus,
was carried by bearers, called Vesper or Vespillones " Pyr est lignorum congeries; ropus, cum jam
(Suet. Dom. 17; Mart. i. 31. 48), because, ac- ardere coeperit, dicitur." This pile was built in
cording to Festus (s. v.), they carried out the the form of an altar, with four equal sides, whence
corpses in the evening (vespertino temnpors'e). The we find it called are sepulcri (Virg. Aen. vi. 177)
couches on which the corpses of the rich were car- and fiuneris ars. (Ovid, Trist. iii. 13. 21.) Tho
tied were sometimes made of ivory, and covered sides of the pile were, according to the Twelve
with gold and purple. (Suet. Jul. 84.) They were Tables, to be left rough and unpolished (Cic. de
often carried on the shoulders of the nearest rela- Leg. ii. 23); but were frequently covered with dark
tions of the deceased (Valer. Max. vii. 1. ~ 1I; Hor. leaves. (Virg. Aen. vi. 215.) Cypress trees were
Sat. ii. 8. 56), and sometimes on those of his freed- sometimes placed before the pile. (Virg. Ovid, 1. c.;
men. (Pers. iii. 106.) Julius Caesar was carried Sil. Ital. x. 535.) On the top of the pile the corpse
by the magistrates (Suet. Jul. 84), and Augustus was placed, with the couch on which it had beenll
by the senators. (Id. Aug. 100; Tacit. Ann. i. 8.) carried (Tibull. i, 1. 61), and the nearest relation
The relations of the deceased walked behind the then set fire to the pile with his face turned atway.
corpse in mourning; his sons with their heads [FAX.] When the flames began to rise, various
veiled, and his daughters with their heads bare perfumes were thrown into the fire (called by
and their hair dishevelled, contrary to the ordinary Cicero (1. c.) snmptuos resspersio), though this
practice of both. (Plut. Quaest. Rom. 14.) They practice was forbidden by the Twelve Tables -
often uttered loud lamentations, and the women beat cups of oil, ornaments, clothes, dishes of food, and
their breasts and tore their cheeks, though this was other things, which were supposed to be agreeable
forbidden by the Twelve Tables. (11Misieres genets to the deceased, were also thrown upon the flames.
se radue/to, Cic. de Leg. ii. 23.) If the deceased (Virg. Aen. vi. 225; Stat. Tieb. vi. 126; Lucan.
was of illustrious rank, the funeral procession went ix. 175.)
through the forum (Dionys. iv. 40), and stopped he- The place where a person was burnt was called
fore the rostra, where a funeral oration (lauedatio) Bustsem, if he was afterwards buried on the same
in praise of the deceased was delivered. (Dionys. spot, and Ustsina or Ustrinzum if he was buried at
v. 17; Cic. pro J1Iil. 13, de Oratl ii. 84; Suet. Jul. a different place. (Festus, s. v. bustum.) Persons
84, Aug. 100.) This practice was of great an- of property frequently set apart a space, surrounded
tiquity among the Romanss and is said by some by a wall, near their sepulchres, for the purpose of
writers to have been first introduced by Publicola, burning the dead; but those who could not afford
who pronounced a funeral oration in honour of his the space appear to have sometimes placed tile.
colleague Brutus. (Plut. Public. 9; Dionys. v. 17.) funeral pyres against the monuments of others,
Women also were honotired by funeral orations. which was frequently forbidden in inscriptions on
(Cic. de Orat. ii. l1; Suet. Jul. 26, GCal. 10.) monuments. (Tusic monumento ustrinum applicari
From the forum the corpse was carried to the place nos lieet, Gruter, 755. 4. 656. 3; Orelli, 4384,
of burning or burial, which, according to a law of 4385.)
the Twelve Tables, was obliged to be outside the If tle deceased was an emperor, or an illustrious
city. (Cic. de Leg. iit 23) general, the soldiers marched (decurrebant) three
The Romans in the most ancient times buried times round the pile (Virg. Aen. xi. 188; Tacit.
their dead (Plin, Ii. iV. vii. 55), though they also Ann. ii. 7), which custom was observed annually
early adopted, to some extent, the custom of burn- at a monument built by the soldiers in honour of
ing, which is mentioned in the Twelve Tables. DLrusus. (Suet. Claud. 1.) Sometimes animals
(Cic. 1. c.) Burning, however, does not appear to were slaughtered at the pile, and in ancient times
have become general till the later times of the re- captives and slaves, since the Manes were supposed
public; Mnarius veas buried, nand Sulla was the first to be fend of blood; but afterwards gladiators,